What is a dental implant?

What is it? An implant is a metal post that is surgically placed into the jawbone. It serves as an artificial root for the new tooth that will be attached to it.

What to look out for? The implant is made of titanium, which has been proven to be safe and effective for use in dental implants. Titanium also has a strong bond to the bone, making it ideal for this purpose.

What is a dental implant

An implant in dentistry is an artificial tooth root. It is a screw (post), which is screwed into the bone of the jaw – in the place where a naturally grown but later extracted tooth used to be. An adapter (abutment) is screwed on top of the implant, to which an artificial crown is fixed with cement or a special screw.

As a result, the patient receives a full-fledged artificial tooth that looks and functions like a real tooth.

The screws are placed in place of the extracted tooth. Such implants can be used to fill one or more gaps. In cases where all teeth are missing, a compromise option is more often used: several implant-supports are inserted into the jaw, which are then covered with a fixed bridge (this method of implantation is called All-on-4/6).

Indications for implants

Implants are designed as an alternative to dentures, which involve the grinding down of neighboring teeth. An indication for implants is the absence of one or more dental units.

In the case of the absence of the last chewing teeth in the row, a removable denture can be placed, but it will constantly dangle and fall out, because there is no way to fix it properly. In this case, the best solution will be the installation of dental implants.

When completely missing teeth, removable dentures are not fixed well, when talking and chewing can fall out. For better fixation, mini-implants have been created, which are implanted into the jaw and the dentures are securely fixed on their protruding fragments.

Contraindications to implant placement

Implant placement is an operation that has quite a few contraindications. They are divided into absolute, general and relative.

Absolute contraindications are when it is categorically impossible to carry out the installation of implants. Their list is as follows:

• Immune problems, in which wounds heal poorly after surgery.
• Blood coagulation disorders.
• Malignant tumors, in which surgical intervention can cause the development of neoplasms.
• Diseases of the nervous system, when psychologically unstable patients can not adequately perceive and fulfill the recommendations of the doctor.
• Connective tissue pathologies that prevent healing of the bone tissue around the implant.
• Diabetes mellitus of the first type.
• Hypertonus of masticatory muscles, when it is impossible to select a suitable design and crown when the lower jaw is in the wrong position.
• Open tuberculosis.

General contraindications include:

• intolerance to anesthesia;
• exhaustion of the body;
• diseases, the course of which may be affected by the implant placement;
• general contraindications for surgical intervention;
• chronic stress syndrome;
• taking immuno- and antidepressant medications.

Relative contraindications include temporary deterioration of the patient’s condition, fear of surgical intervention.

Types and features of dental implants

An implant in the form of a rod is screwed into the bone tissue and then implanted into its composition. It can be made of metals or ceramics, has different shapes and sizes, depending on the specific needs of the patient. The requirements for the material are high: in addition to strength, it is necessary that it has absolute safety and is biologically compatible. Titanium alloy or zirconium dioxide is most commonly used for this purpose.

There are different varieties of pins, differing in size, pitch and shape of threads. There are mini implants that are thinner and shorter than standard implants, as well as zygomatic variants that are implanted into the patient’s zygomatic bone.

When selecting implants, individual features of the jaw structure are taken into account.

Lifespan of dental implants

With proper care, implants last as long as native teeth. The artificial root, which is implanted into the gum, is usually placed for more than 30 years. A crown can last from 3 to 20 years depending on the type and quality. Good implants come with a lifetime warranty.

Their shelf life is influenced by:

• strength and resistance to stress;
• type, quality, technology of manufacturing and installation of the implant and connecting structures;
• patient’s health, proper oral hygiene.

Why implants are better than other methods of restoring teeth

Traditional prosthetics involves placing the appliance on your own teeth, but they do not “press” as they should on the bone tissue, and as a result, the bones of the jaw gradually thin out. This leads to problems with the prosthesis itself, as the tissue underneath it “sags” and leads to discomfort or limitations when talking or eating. In addition, there may be aesthetic consequences: creases appear in the corners of the mouth and the height of the face is reduced.

Installation of implants does not affect the neighboring teeth and allows to correctly transfer the load to the bone tissue, helps to preserve its structure and prevents it from further reduction. Patients retain their normal facial features, and the artificial teeth look natural even years later and feel as natural in the mouth as if they were born.